MACDONALD in Helmsdale, Kildonan

I am quite new to genealogy and have quite a bit of patchy information about family. Anyway I have discovered my MacDonalds have may have originated from Helmsdale, Kildonan. My gggrandfather was James Charles MacDonald (McDonald) who was born in Helmsdale in 1843, married Elizabeth Tait. His daughter Mary Ann, who is my great grandmother, was born about 1867 in Aster Shetland Islands. I also have a list of a list 6 generations of names that are father to son only including the males in my side of the family no siblings. I am interested in finding more info on my MacDonalds.They emigrated to Southland New Zealand in 1865.

Jenny Hall

Wellington, New Zealand
(ref EM0013)

SUTHERLAND, MURRAY in Clyne & Kildonan

Greetings from New Zealand. I very much value this group as it has facilitated a connection with a descendant of my Helmsdale family who lives in Australia. I have also had a number of important links completed with advice and information from other members. Thank you so much everyone, it gives me a wonderful sense of belonging to this distant place – home of many of my ancestors. I have a deep sense of yearning to visit the places that “my people” walked and am looking forward to visiting Scotland in the near future.

My interests are

William SUTHERLAND born abt. 1768 – Clyne and his wife Anne MURRAY (nothing known)

Their son – Hector SUTHERLAND born 17 Apr 1808, Ardochie, Clyne – died 15 Aug 1887, Helmsdale

Hector’s wife – Jane McGREGOR born abt 1816, Wick – died 29 Mar 1899, Helmsdale

Hector and Jane had 10 children.

My family line is descended from Alexander Sutherland born April 1841 in Helmsdale – died in NZ – has zillions of descendants

He maintained contact with his brother William McGregor Sutherland who died rich and famous in Australia but whose line has died out.

I am very keen to follow the rest of the family and particularly would like to know whether some of this Sutherland line remain in Helmsdale.

Charlotte Sutherland born 11 Jun 1836 in Helmsdale – looking for more details

John Sutherland born 6 Sep 1842 in Helmsdale – looking for more details

Anne Sutherland born 1845 in Helmsdale – unmarried in 1891 so probably died without descendants

Margaret Sutherland born 1851 in Helmsdale – looking for more details

Donald Sutherland born 1853 in Helmsdale – looking for more details

Three of the other siblings died without descendants

Thank you again to all of the members and the wonderful contribution made by Christine Stokes. You’re fantastic!

Christine McDonald 

New Zealand

(ref EM0015)

SUTHERLAND, FRASER, MURRAY & MACKAY

In the 5 years I have been associated with this list I have been thrilled to find many distant relations among our members. Through their help I am researching the following families;
John SUTHERLAND (Colin) & Eppy BRUCE( b.1767 Strathbrora) of Kildonan, Gartymore, Loth & some descendants (namely Donald my ggg-grandfather) eventually settled in Doll,Clyne;

Oliver FRASER b.c.1755 & Barbara MACAULEY of Helmsdale, Loth;

William SUTHERLAND, Miller of Clyne & Margaret SUTHERLAND of Doll, parents of Margaret b.1790, Clyne (my ggg-grandmother);

William SUTHERLAND (Deuchary) & Betty MACKAY of Clyne, parents of Helen b.c.1826-1829 who married...John MURRAY (Bonesetter) of Doll,Clyne, born between 1828 -1831 illegitimate son Jane MURRAY d/o Alex MURRAY and a George MURRAY (cannot find him);

John SUTHERLAND married in 1846 Janet MURRAY, d/o Hugh MURRAY and Louisa MCLEOD;

George MURRAY & (not married) Ann ROSS, b.1825 d/o John ROSS, of Creich-parents of David MURRAY b.1853;

Alexander MACKAY b.c.1766 & Esther MURRAY of Dalchalm, Clyne;

Donald MACKAY & Helen MCANGUS b.1783, and his sibling Janet and William MACKAY of Fearn, Ross moved to Portgower Loth circa 1830.

Thanks to all for your help and companionship over the years.

Eileen Jefferies
Ontario

POLSON

My Sutherland interests are in the name POLSON and I am interested in all connections to this name. I have a large portfolio of families with this name and have pieced together several relationships.

My direct family line come from Marrel, near Helmsdale. My great great greatgrandparents were Murdoch Polson and Catherine Sutherland. Their eldest son James Polson and his wife Flora McKenzie inherited the Marrel croft and then it passed to their youngest son William Polson and his wife Annie Allan. William and Annie had 7 children. Their great grandson Walter Mackay still lives in Golspie. He has a coalyard.

James and Flora Polson had nine children, two of whom (John and Catherine) came to New Zealand. John married Christina Ross from West Helmsdale, daughter of Rhoderick Ross and Christy McIntosh. They came to NZ separately and married in Christchurch. They lived in the Tarras area of Central Otago and had a family of 9 children. They are my great grandparents.

Catherine married Murdoch Bruce, also in New Zealand. They lived at Seadowns, near Ashburton and had a family of 12 children.

James Polson's younger brother was Alexander Polson who married Elizabeth Sutherland. They lived at Marrel and had a family of 4 daughters.

Any information about POLSON families from Sutherland is always appreciated.

Adair Polson-Genge

Invercargill, New Zealand
See also HERE

HARPER & ROSS in Kildonan

My great grandfather, JAMES MACKAY married ANN HARPER in Helmsdale, Kildonan, in 1862. Ann's parents were JAMES HARPER and MARGARET ROSS . MARGARET ROSS was buried in Bunahoun, Strath Halladale, Farr, in 1867 with a stone dedicated by her sons Alexander, James and Archibald. Does anyone know of this ROSS family? I believe that JAMES HARPER was born elsewhere, possibly Lanarkshire, but I think that the ROSS family were from Kildonan, Sutherland.

Who are Margaret's parents?

Joan Currie,
Sydney, Australia

MELVILLE in Portgower, LOTH

Researching MELVILLE, MACKAY, CLUNAS, MURRAY & SUTHERLAND in Loth

My GG grandmother, Jane Mackay married John MELVILLE in Portgower (or Loth in other records) on February 22nd, 1828. There are no other details listed on the OPR etc. and I have searched for years trying to find her parents and hopefully siblings. I have much more on the MELVILLE family.

Their first child was Catherine b. in 1829 ; she married James McKAY, son of James McKAY and Mary McLEAN ( also from West Helmsdale) in Edinburgh on March 28th 1856 and it seems they went to Australia.

2) Donald was born on 25, March 1830 in West Helmsdale was marked 10 on the 1841 census in West Helmsdale; but wasn't with the rest of the family on the 1851 census in West Helmsdale.

3) Hugh was born on 20th December 1831 in West Helmsdale and was 8 on the 1841 census; on the 1851 census he was 18 a cooper b. in Kildonan and he seems to have ended up in New South Wales as George Hugh with parents stated as John MELVILLE and Jane McKAY on his certs. and papers. He was an assistant harbourmaster and married Catherine McKINNON in Newcastle NSW on July 7th 1863; he was probably responsible for Catherine and James moving out there. On the birth of their son, George Hugh MELVILLE on 7th March , 1868 it gives his occupation as Master Mariner and birthplace as West Helmsdale. He died in 1911.

4) Jane was b. 21st of May, 1834 and married a police constable, Donald BREMNER of Olrig, Caithness in Edinburgh on November 11, 1855 and stayed there to raise a family.

5) Isabella, my G grandmother, was b. May 31st , 1836 and married George HENSON in Edinburgh on 6th November, 1861 and after living in various Scottish cities and having 4 children they moved to South Shields , England in the 1870s where they had 5 more .

6) Roberta was b. May 09, 1839 and married Alexander MURRAY, son of Angus and Margaret FRASER of West Helmsdale in Edinburgh on January 20th , 1866. They moved back later to help out with the cooper business on the croft and took it over after John and his second wife Grace MacPherson of Caithness had died.

Dorothy Blais, nee Henson, Vancouver Island, Canada